Machine for making garment-stays.



F. L. 0. WADSWORTH.

MACHlNE FOR MAKING GARMENT STAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25. 1914.

1,250,252.- Y Patented De0.18,1917;

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES F. L. 0. WADSWORTH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT STAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1914.

1,250,252. Patented Dec. 18,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGJ

W FIG-6 FIG-T F. L. 0. WADSWORTH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT STAYS.

APPLICATION FILED szrnzs. 1914.

1,250,252. Patented Dec. 18,1917;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES I |NVENTR a zip/M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. O. WADSWORTH, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO THESPIRELLA COMPANY, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFjrEnNsYLvAn-IA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT-STAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed September 25, 1914. Serial No. 863,595.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. O. WADS- worth,a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines forMaking Garment- Stays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for making wire garment stays, andparticularly to that form of stay which is made up of wire bent back andforth alternately in opposite directions to form two series ofoppositely disposed loops or eyes lying along the edges of the stay andconnected by a series of intermediate transverse portions or. crossingslying at or nearly, at right an les to the length of the stay.

ne object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of thecharacter described which forms wire garment stays in such manner thatthey are not only rendered stiffer in one flatwise direction than in theother but also possess an increased resiliency and increased ability towithstand short bends and avoid taking permanent bends or sets, ascompared with such stays as heretofore constructed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for formingwire garment stays-in which the wire is bent back and forth alternatelyto form oppositely disposed loops'or eyes and in such manner as to formthe plane of each loop or eye at an an Is to the plane of the'finishedstay as a who e, and then twist or tilt each loop or eye out of theplane in which it is formed in order to bring its plane nearer to theplane of the stay as a whole.

The apparatus of this application is designed particularly to carry outthe method forming the subject matter of my prior patent for method ofmaking garment stays, granted January 1915, No. 1,123,822.

In the draw' gs, which represent machines embodying the invention,Figure 1 is a partial plan View of one form of machine with a portion ofthe top plate broken away to show the driving cams; Fig. 2 is asectional elevation on the line 2--2, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a partiallongitudinal sectional elevation on the line 33, Fig. 1; Figs. 4 and 5are enlarged views of the bending and twisting fingers of the mechanism;Figs. 6

' plan view thereof; and Figs. 10 and 11 areplan and edge views of theproduct during the process of itsformation by themechanism of Figs. 8and 9.

Inthe machine shown in Figs. 1 to-5 inclusive the wire is led from areel or spool 1 downwardly over a stationaryguide roll 2 and through orbetween guiding fingers 3, all of these parts being solidly mounted upona column or upright 4 carried by the main frame 5, which is of anysuitable -configuration, depending upon the arrangement of the parts ofthe particular machine. Each loop is formed by the longitudinal movementof one of a pair of reciprocating bending fingers 6, 6, which aremounted to slide transversely of the machine, and the ends of whichengage with the wire just below the guide fingers 3. Each finger by itsadvancement first bends the Wire in a vertical plane to form an openloop or eye, as shown for example, at the right in Fig. 4. When thismovement is completed the bendin finger and the loop in engagementtherewlth, are rotated through the desired angle of twist, as shown inFig. 2, which tilts or twists-the loop out of the plane in which it isformed and nearer to the general horizontal plane of the stay as awhole. This imparts a twist or permanent torsional set to the crossingportion of the wire which connects the loop or eye being formed tothe-finished portion of the stay. Preferably, the twisting movement iscarried below the plane of the finished stay (see dotted lines of Fig.5) so as to compensate for the recoil of the twisted loop when thebending finger plane of the stay as a whole.

' springs 14. The cam 24 is mounted on and rotates with 'the verticalmain operating shaft 15,'which is driven in any suitable manner, as bybeing provided with a bevel gear 16 meshinv'with a cooperating bevelgear 17 upon a iorizontal shaft.18 extending out to one side of themachine, and rotated by driving pulley-s or a motor thereon. The heads8, 8, are bifurcated to receive inions 19, 19, fixed to rotate with theshafts 7, and made of such length as to mesh continually, throughout theentire transverse range of movement of the bending fingers, withoperating gear segments 20, 20, on the ends of levers 21, 21 which arepivotally mounted uponsuitable supports carried by the main frame, andwhose other ends are provided with rollers 22, 22, that travel on andare held by suitable springs in contact with a cam track 23 upon thelower face of the cam 24. The movement of said levers in one directionis limited by the height of the cam track 23, and in the other directionby suitable stops, such as the adjustable screws 25 threaded intoconvenient portions of the fixed frame, and which contact with saidlevers.

During the formation of the successive loops or eyes the finishedportion of the stay is held down against the upper surface of the topplate 26 by suitable anvil members or blocks 27, 27 which are shown aslevers arranged to rise and fall alternately, and which are eachprovided with a plurality of pins 28 which enter the loops or eyes ofthe stay as formed, and by means of which the finished stay is fedlongitudinally through the machine, as formed. The levers are pivotallymounted upon a cross shaft 29 carried by standards or supports 30 andare provided with elongated slots 31 through which said shaft passes, sothat the blocks can move longitudinally of the machine, in order to feedthe Stay fabric therethrough, as well as rise and fall alternately. Theyare provided with depending arm 32, 32*, which respectively arepivotally connected to slides 33, 33, movable longitudinally of themachine along its central line, in guideways 34. The rear end of theslide 33 is provided with a roller 35 which is held by a tension spring37 against the periphery of an inner cam track 36 of a cam 13 alsocarried by the tea es main operating shaft 15, while the slide 33 isprovided with a roller 35 which is likewise held against the face of aninner cam track 36 on the cam 24 by a similar tension s )ring 37. Therear ends of the levers 27, 2 ,are provided with dogs or hooks 38, 38,adapted in one position to be engaged by latches 39, 39, held downwardlyby suitable yieldingmeans, such as the springs 40, and pivotallymounted, as at 41, upon a convenient portion of the fixed frame. Thedownward movement of the anvil members or pinblocks toward the uppersurface of the top plate 26 is limited by rollers 42, 42, journaled inthe upper portion of the frame.

Let us assume that the right-hand bending finger 6 is retracted and in aposition ready to begin the formation of another loop or eye. At thistime the position of the cams 13 and 24 is such that both pin-blocks 27,27,

are held downwardly against the sta but in staggered relation, the block27 belng in the forward position with its dog 38 out of engagement withthe latch 39 and the block 27 in its rearward position with its dog 38in engagement with the latch 39. The bending finger 6 moves inwardly andbends a loop, as shown in Fig.4, and then is twisted by the lever 21 totilt said loopnearer to the horizontal plane of the finished stay.Bending finger 6 is then retracted and returned to normal position.During this retractile movement, and when the notch in the bendingfinger is disengaged from the wire, the left-hand pin-block 27 isallowed to rise from the stay by a hollow portion 48 of the cam track36. The pin-block rises without horizontal movement until the dog 38 isfully disengaged from the latch 39% and therefore during the firstportion of the I movement of said block there is no liability of thepins thereon moving the finished stay longitudinally. When the dog 38*is fully released from the latch 39 the pin-block 27 moves forwardly adistance equal to one half the interval between successive loops or eyesalong one edge of the stay, the extent of movement being controlled bvthe length of the slot 31 in. the block. A lobe of the cam track 36 nowengages the roller 35 and moves the pin block 27 rearwardly a. distanceequal to one half the interval between successive loops or eyes alongone edge of the stay, or the full length of the slot 31 in said block,thereby feeding the stay longitudinally through the machine, and whensaid pinblock reaches its rearmost position the latch 39 moves in behindthe dog 38. A lobe of the cam track 36 then engages the roller 35 andswings the left-hand pin block 27 downwardly until it engages its roller42, but without moving said block rearwardly, so that it now is inadvance of the right-hand pin block. The parts are now in reversedposition ready for the formation of the next loop or eye alon the othered 'e of the stay, which is formed by the leftand bending fin er 6,which moves in, bends the wire an then rotates to tilt it downwardlynearer to the horizontal plane of the stay as a whole. The stay bendingfinger is then withdrawn and returned to initial position, whereupon therighthand pin block 27 rises and moves forward to its original position,and the left-hand pin block is movedrearwardl to feed the stay throughthe machine the le -hand pin block bein then de resse and rengaged withthe fabric. This nishes one complete cycle of operations, which cycle isthen repeated to form additional loops or e es.

In the machine described the bendin fingers 6, 6*, move in laterallyalong ines which are normal to the length of the completed stay, so thatthe crossin portions of the wire in the finished pro not lie in lineswhich are substantially normal to its length, as shown in Fig. 6. Bymoving said bending fingers inwardly along lines which are inclined tothe length of the stay, the crossing ortions of the wire may be somewhatinc ined, so that the loops or eyes, instead of being substantiallU-shaped, as in Fig. 6, are substantially pear-shaped, as shown in Fig.7, and if desired, the inclination may be carried to such an extent thatsuccessive loops or eyes longitudinally of the stay overlap each otherslightly. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a machine for orming a stay of thischaracter.

In this machine the wire is fed substantially normal to the plane of thestay by suitable guide rollers 50, 50*, and, if desired, between guidingfingers like those shown at 3, Fig. 4. The unformed portion of the wireis caught alternately by the reciprocating bending members 52, 52, whichcome in endwise at an oblique angle and alternately from opposite sides.These bending members are provided on their ends with notches or grooves53, as in the machine before described, and carry the wire across thewidth of the stay being formed and at an angle to its length and bendthe same into a loop whose general plane is substantially normal to thegeneral plane of the finished portion of the stay, as in Fig. 8. Thebending members may be. reciprocated by any suitable mechanism, thedrawings showing for this purpose oscillating levers 60, 60. During thismovement the previously formed portion of the stay is held clampedbetween an anvil or presser member 54 and vertically reciprocating anvilblocks 55, 55, which are provided with pins 56, 56*, which engage andhold the previously formed loop or eye.

We will assume that the block 55 is elevated and the block 55 isdepressed to clamp the formed portion of the wire against the row 57Fig. 8, and thereby brings the loop portion last formed into the planeof the previously formed loop and in position under the forward pin inthe elevated pin block 55. The bender is then retracted and returned toits normal position and the pin block 55 descends and catches .the newlyformed loop on its forward in 56. Immediately thereafter the pin lock 55rises and the pin block 55 is moved backwardly a distance equal to onehalf the interval between adjacent eyes so as to bring the depressed pin56 opposite the position previously occupied by The opposite bendingmember 52 now advances, catches the unformed part of the wire and bendsit back toward the opposite edge of the stay and forms a loop around thepin 56. As before, this loop will lie in a plane substantially normal tothe plane of the previously formed loop. The bending member 52 is thenrotated in the direction of the arrow 57, Fig. 8, thereby bringing thisnewly formed loop portion into the plane of the previously formed loopsand into position under the forward pin 56 of pin block 55, whereuponsaid bending member 52 is'retracted and turned back to its forwardposition, after which the pin block 55 is lowered and catches the newlyformed loop behind its forward pin 56, when the foregoing operations arerepeated.

Thebending members 52 and 52 can be rotated as above described by anysuitable mechanism, the drawings merely showing diagrammatically suchrotating mechanism as consisting of sleeve gears 58 in which the bendingmembers 52 are splined so that they can slide therein but must berotated therewith, and which gears 58 mesh with other gears 59 whichwill be intermittently rotated or oscillated back and forth, by anysuitable mechanism, such for example, as-

that shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The machines described can be adapted for forming a stay having anydesired form of loops or eyes and havin any desired form of crosssection, that is to say, the loops or eyes may be pear-shaped, U-shaped,or of any other shape, and they may be brought entirely into the planeof the stay to form a perfectly flat stay, as shown in Fig. 6, or may beallowed to overlap and remain slightly out of the plane of the stay, asshown in Figs. 10 and 11.

In every case, the effect of tilting each loop or eye from the originalposition in which it is formed toward the plane of the.

the depressed pin 56*.

stay is to impart a very considerable twist or torsional set to thetransverse or crossing portion connecting the loop or eye being formedto the previously formed portion of the stay. Consequently, thesetransverse crossing portions of the wire will resist a tendency to twistor rotate them farther 1n the direction in which they are alreadytwisted, morestrongly than they resist a tendency to twist or rotatethem in the opposite direction. The twists or torsional sets in all ofthe crossings, viewin the completed stay as a whole, run in t e samedirection. Consequently, the stay is much stifier in one flatwisedirection than it is in the other, so that by properly placing it in agarment, such as a corset, it 1s enabled to resist to a maximum thestresses to which such stays are subjected in use, While leaving it verflexible in the opposite direction. This initial twist or torsional sethas the further effect'of increasing the elasticity or resiliency of thewire in both directions and, as a consequence, the stay can be 'bent tovery short radii of curvature without taking a permanent set or bend,and shortly recovers its original or normal form. Hence, a garmentprovided with such stays will retain its form much more effectively thanwith stays similarly constructed but having no initial twist ortorsional set.

What I claim is 1. Wire bending apparatus, comprising means for bendingthe wire to form a loop or eye lying in a plane at an angle to the planeof the stay as a whole, and means for twisting or tilting each loop oreye as soon as formed in said plane, to thereby bring its plane nearerto the plane of the stay as a whole.

2. Wire bending apparatus, comprising means for bending the wirealternately back and forth to form a series of loops or eyes,

each loop or eye as formed having its plane at an angle to the plane ofthe stay as a whole, and means for twisting or tilting each loop or eyeas soon as formed and be fore forming the next loop or eye, to therebybring its plane nearer to the plane of the stay as a Whole.

3. Wire bending apparatus, comprising means for bending the wire to forma loop or eye lying in a plane at an angle to the plane of the stay as awhole, and means for twisting the crosslng portion of said loop or eyeto impart a torsional set thereto and thereby tilting said loop or eyeto bring its plane nearer to the plane of the stay as a whole.

4. Wire bending apparatus, comprising means for bending the wire backand forth to form a seriesof loops or eyes, each loop or eye as formedhaving its plane at an angle to the plane of the stay as a whole, andmeans for successively twisting the crossing intense portions of thestay to impart a torsional set thereto and thereby twist or tilt eachloop or e e to bring its plane nearer to the plane of t e stay as awhole. v

5. In a wire bending machine, the combination of anvil members arrangedto rise and fall alternately, laterally movable bending members arrangedto bend the wire back and forth into loops or eyes, and means for movingsaid bending members after formation of each loop or eye to impart atorsional set to the crosslng portion of the wire.

6. In a wire bending machine, the combination of anvil members arrangedto rise and fall alternately, laterally movable bending members arrangedto bend the wire back and forth into loops or eyes, and means forrotating each of said bending members about an axis after formation ofeach loop or eye to impart a torsional set to the crossing portion ofthe wire.

7. In a wire bending machine, the combination of anvil members arrangedto rise and fall alternately, means for feeding the wire at an angle tothe plane of the finished stay, laterally movable bending membersarranged to bend the wire back and forth into loops or eyes, and meansfor moving said bending members after formation of each loop or eye toimpart a torsional set to the crossing portion of the wire and tilt theloop or eye being formed nearer to the plane of the stay as a whole.

- 8. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged torise and fall alternately, means for feeding the wire at an angle to theplane of the stay as a whole, laterally movable bending members arrangedto bend the Wire back and forth, and means for rotating each bendingmember about a horizontal axis to impart a torsional set to the crossingportion of the wire and tilt the loop or eye being formed nearer to theplane of the stay as a whole.

9. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately, bending members movable laterally in straightlines and arranged to bend the wire back and forth, and means forrotating said bending members to impart a torsional set to the crossingportion of the wire.

10. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately, reciprocating bending members movable alternatelyfrom opposite sides of the machine and arranged to bend the wire backand forth, and means for rotating said bending members to impart atorsional set to the crossing portion of the wire.

11. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately, laterally movable bending members arranged to bendthe wire back and forth and form successive loops or eyes in .each ofsaid bending members about an axis parallel with its line of movement toim art a torsional set tothe crossing portion the wire. .7

13, In a wire bending machine, comprisinganvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately, laterally movable bending members arranged to bendthe wire back and forth, and means for holding both of said same isbent.-

14. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately and having ins normally lying in staggered relationwith the pins of one anvil members against the wire while the 7 memberin advance of the other, laterally movable bending members arranged tobend the wire back and forth, and means for holding both of'said anvilmembers against the formed portion of the wire 'while bending a new loopor eye.

15. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately and having pins normally lying in staggeredrelation with the pins of one member in advance of the other, laterallymovable bending members arranged to bend the wire back and forth, meansfor holding both of said anvil members against the formed portion of thewire while bending a new loop or eye, and means for advancin one of saidanvil members and elevating an retracting the other between bendingoperations.

16. In a wire bending machine, comprising anvil members arranged to riseand fall alternately, laterally movable bending members arranged to bendthe wire back and forth, said anvil members being provided with pinsnormally lying in staggered relation, means for reversing the positionsof the anvil members between bending operations, and means forpreventing longitudinal movement of each anvil member as it isdisengaged from the stay being formed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK L. O. WADSWORTH. Witnesses:

WILLIAM B. WHARTON, ELBnR'rL. HYDE.

